CN110843773A

CN110843773A - Apparatus and method for controlling driving of vehicle

Info

Publication number: CN110843773A
Application number: CN201811410289.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 金南僩; 安昶宣
Original assignee: Hyundai Motor Co; Kia Motors Corp; University Industry Cooperation Foundation of Pusan National University
Current assignee: Hyundai Motor Co; University Industry Cooperation Foundation of Pusan National University; Kia Corp
Priority date: 2018-08-20
Filing date: 2018-11-23
Publication date: 2020-02-28
Also published as: US10793148B2; KR20200023691A; US20200055517A1; KR102610729B1

Abstract

The invention provides an apparatus for controlling driving of a vehicle. The device includes: a sensor for sensing an environment external to the vehicle; a positioning device for measuring a current position of the vehicle; and a controller for calculating a first weighted time to collide with another vehicle using an accident severity index obtained based on an environment outside the vehicle and a current location of the vehicle, and controlling collision avoidance based on the calculated first weighted collision time. The apparatus performs a powerful control to avoid a collision in an external environment that cannot be sensed by a sensor, thereby reducing the occurrence of a vehicle accident and damage due to the vehicle accident.

Description

Apparatus and method for controlling driving of vehicle

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims priority and benefit from korean patent application No.10-2018-0096908, filed on 20/8/2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for controlling driving of a vehicle.

Background

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

When a leading vehicle decelerates or stops, or when an obstacle such as a pedestrian suddenly appears, an Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system in the vehicle can detect a leading vehicle or obstacle despite no driver's proactive command and determine a critical situation to alert the driver of the critical situation or control automatic deceleration. Furthermore, the AEB system brakes the vehicle itself to prevent or minimize damage caused by a rear-end collision.

In europe, it has become obligatory to install AEB systems to reduce pedestrian injury and death. Since 2014, AEB was formally incorporated into the vehicle safety assessment of the european new vehicle assessment program (NCAP).

Referring to the Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS) requirements of the recently released Euro NCAP, it is desirable to detect the risk of collision with a pedestrian having a walking speed of 3km/h to 8km/h even if the vehicle is running at a speed of 20km/h to 60 km/h.

However, it has been found that there are technical limitations in detecting a sudden occurrence of a pedestrian while a vehicle is traveling at a speed of 20km/h or more to determine whether or not there is a collision with the pedestrian, determining that there is a possibility of a collision, and rapidly decelerating and braking in a short time. In particular, it is difficult to detect a pedestrian when the pedestrian is hidden by a parked external vehicle, and thus it is difficult to satisfy the AEBS requirement of EuroNCAP. Therefore, it is difficult to detect an external situation and prevent a collision with the vehicle using only the sensor.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure solves the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, while the advantages achieved by the prior art remain unchanged.

An aspect of the present disclosure provides an apparatus and method for controlling driving of a vehicle, which calculates a time to control the vehicle and a control amount of the vehicle by determining a current driving state using a sensor and calculating a collision time reflecting severity of an accident obtained from a server based on an accident risk according to a past traffic accident death number and a relative location.

The technical problems to be solved by the inventive concept are not limited to the above-described problems, and any other technical problems not mentioned herein will be clearly understood from the following description by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for controlling driving of a vehicle may include: a sensor configured to sense an environment external to the vehicle; a positioning device configured to measure a current position of the vehicle; and a controller configured to calculate a first weighted time to collision with another vehicle based on an accident severity index, and to control collision avoidance based on the calculated first weighted time to collision, wherein the accident severity index is based on an environment outside the vehicle and a current location of the vehicle.

The environment external to the vehicle may include at least one of a brightness, an obstacle, or weather external to the vehicle.

The accident severity index may be calculated based on the number of deaths occurring in the environment outside the vehicle and the current location of the vehicle and the risk of collision.

The collision risk may be calculated based on the number of fatalities according to the collision location and the collision direction of the accident vehicle occurring in the current location of the vehicle.

The controller may be configured to control at least one of a warning light and a warning sound when the first weighted impact time is greater than the first time.

The controller may be configured to reduce engine power or generate brake jerk when the first weighted impact time is greater than the second time and less than or equal to the first time.

The controller may be configured to control the braking torque to decelerate when the first weighted impact time is less than or equal to the second time and when there is no driver steering input.

The controller may be configured to calculate a second weighted time-to-collision reflecting the accident severity index upon deceleration in a state where the driver is turning when the first weighted time-to-collision is less than or equal to the second time and there is a driver steering input, and configured to calculate a third weighted time-to-collision reflecting the accident severity index upon deceleration in a state where the driver is not turning.

The controller may be configured to assist the driver in steering to decelerate when the second weighted impact time is greater than the third weighted impact time.

The controller may be configured to inhibit the driver steering input from decelerating when the second weighted collision time is less than or equal to the third weighted collision time.

The controller may be configured to control the smart cruise control set speed based on the accident severity index.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling driving of a vehicle may include: sensing, by a sensor, an environment external to the vehicle; measuring, by a positioning device, a current location of a vehicle; obtaining, by the controller, an accident severity index based on an environment external to the vehicle and a current location of the vehicle; calculating, by the controller, a first weighted collision time with another vehicle based on the accident severity index; and controlling, by the controller, collision avoidance based on the first weighted collision time.

The accident severity index may be calculated based on the number of deaths and the risk of collision occurring in the environment outside the vehicle and at the current location of the vehicle.

Controlling collision avoidance based on the first weighted collision time may include: controlling at least one of a warning light and a warning sound when the first weighted impact time is greater than the first time.

Controlling collision avoidance based on the first weighted collision time may include: when the first weighted impact time reflecting the accident severity index is greater than the second time and less than or equal to the first time, engine power is reduced or brake jerk is generated.

Controlling collision avoidance based on the first weighted collision time may include: when the first weighted impact time reflecting the accident severity index is less than or equal to the second time and when there is no driver steering input, the braking torque is controlled to decelerate.

Controlling collision avoidance based on the first weighted collision time may include: calculating a second weighted impact time reflecting the accident severity index when the first weighted impact time reflecting the accident severity index is less than or equal to a second time and when there is a driver steering input, while decelerating in a state where the driver is steering; and calculating a third weighted impact time reflecting the accident severity index when the driver decelerates in a non-steered state.

The method may further comprise: when the second weighted collision time is greater than the third weighted collision time, the controller assists the driver in steering to decelerate.

The method may further comprise: when the second weighted collision time is less than or equal to the third weighted collision time, the driver steering input is inhibited by the controller from decelerating.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

Drawings

In order that the disclosure may be well understood, various forms thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a device for controlling the driving of a vehicle;

fig. 2A is a table showing the number of fatal accidents according to the accident type;

fig. 2B is a table showing the number of fatal accidents according to road alignment;

fig. 3A is a diagram showing a collision direction and a collision position of an accident vehicle;

FIG. 3B is a graph illustrating the risk of collision according to the collision direction and collision location of an accident vehicle;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for controlling the driving of a vehicle;

FIG. 5A is a diagram showing a host vehicle and other vehicles entering an intersection;

fig. 5B is a diagram schematically showing collision avoidance of a host vehicle entering an intersection while suppressing steering by the driver;

FIG. 6A is a diagram showing a host vehicle and other vehicles entering an intersection;

fig. 6B is a diagram schematically showing collision avoidance of a host vehicle entering an intersection while assisting steering of a driver;

fig. 7A is a diagram showing a host vehicle and other vehicles traveling on a right junction road;

fig. 7B is a diagram schematically showing collision avoidance of the host vehicle traveling on the right bus road when controlling the smart cruise control set speed; and

fig. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a computing system that executes the method.

The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

Detailed Description

The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

In adding reference numerals to elements of each figure, it should be noted that the same elements have the same numerals although the same elements are shown on different figures. In addition, in describing a form of the present disclosure, if it is determined that detailed description of related well-known configurations or functions obscure the gist of the present disclosure, they are omitted.

In describing the elements of the forms of the present disclosure, the term first (1) may be used herein^stFirst), second (2)^nd/second), A, B, (a), (b), etc. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element, and do not limit the corresponding elements, regardless of the nature, direction, or order of the corresponding elements. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical or scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongsThe same meaning is understood. Those terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning that is equivalent to the contextual meaning in the relevant art and should not be interpreted as having an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless expressly defined as having such a meaning in the present application.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an apparatus for controlling driving of a vehicle in one form of the present disclosure. An apparatus 100 for controlling driving of a vehicle according to an exemplary form of the present disclosure may include a camera 10, a sensor 20, a positioning device 30, a communication device 40, and a controller 50. According to one form, the apparatus 100 for controlling driving of a vehicle may be applied to an autonomous vehicle.

Referring to fig. 1, a camera 10 may capture an environment external to a vehicle. Specifically, the camera 10 can obtain the position of an obstacle located outside the vehicle. To this end, the cameras 10 may include a front ultra-wide angle camera for capturing images in front of the vehicle, a rear ultra-wide angle camera for capturing images behind the vehicle, and left and right ultra-wide angle cameras for capturing images of left and right sides of the vehicle. When the cameras 10 obtain images of the front, rear, and left and right sides of the vehicle, there is no limitation on the positions where the cameras 10 are installed or the number of cameras.

The sensor 20 may sense an environment external to the vehicle. Herein, the environment outside the vehicle may include brightness, obstacles, weather, and the like outside the vehicle. The sensor 20 may be implemented with a plurality of sensors.

For example, the sensor 20 may include a rain sensor, an illuminance sensor, a distance sensor, and the like.

The rain sensor may sense the speed and amount of rain. Specifically, when rain falls on the front surface of the vehicle, the rain sensor may sense the speed and amount of rain. In other words, the weather outside the vehicle may be sensed using the rain sensor. In one form, the rain sensor may output a "0" when there is no rain. The rain sensor may output "1" when it rains or snows.

The illuminance sensor may sense brightness outside the vehicle. Therefore, the illuminance sensor can distinguish between day and night. According to an exemplary form, the illuminance sensor may output "0" during the day and may output "1" at night. The illuminance sensor may sense brightness outside the vehicle and may turn on/off the automatic lamp. The illuminance sensor may output a "1" when the automatic light is turned on.

The distance sensor may sense an obstacle outside the vehicle. For example, the distance sensor may sense a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle, a stopped object including a structure mounted on or around a road, a lane approaching from an opposite lane, or the like. The range sensor may include radar or light detection and ranging (LiDAR).

The locating device 30 may measure the current location of the vehicle. The positioning device 30 may be implemented as a Global Positioning System (GPS) module. The GPS module may calculate the current position of the vehicle using signals transmitted from 3 or more GPS satellites. The GPS module may calculate a distance between the satellite and the GPS module using a time difference between a time when the satellite transmits a signal and a time when the GPS module receives the signal. The GPS module may calculate the current position of the vehicle using the calculated distances between the satellites and the GPS module and the position information of the satellites included in the transmission signal. In this case, the GPS module may calculate the current position of the vehicle using triangulation. The positioning device 30 can verify whether the vehicle is currently located on at least one of level ground, uphill slope, and downhill slope. According to one form, the locating apparatus 30 can output a "1" when the vehicle is on level ground. When the vehicle is located on an uphill slope, the positioning apparatus 30 may output "2". The positioning apparatus 30 may output "3" when the vehicle is located on a downhill.

The communication device 40 may communicate with the server 200. The communication device 40 may transmit information about the environment outside the vehicle sensed by the sensor 20, and information about the current position of the vehicle measured by the positioning device 30. Further, the communication device 40 may receive from the server 200 the number of traffic accident deaths occurring in the environment outside the vehicle sensed by the sensors 20 and the current location of the vehicle measured by the positioning device 30. Further, the communication device 40 may receive a collision risk calculated based on the number of traffic accident deaths occurring according to a collision location and a collision direction at the time of an accident using the vehicle accident data stored in the server 200. Herein, the vehicle accident data may include data for providing detailed statistical data of vehicle accidents occurring in the past.

The controller 50 may determine the environment outside the vehicle and the current position of the vehicle measured by the positioning apparatus 30 based on the information sensed by the sensor 20.

The controller 50 may determine that the host vehicle is traveling downhill, is not presently raining, and is now nighttime, or that a vehicle slower than the host vehicle is traveling in front of the host vehicle, based on the environment outside the host vehicle sensed by the sensor 20.

The controller 50 may determine whether the vehicle is entering the intersection or whether the vehicle is traveling uphill, downhill, or curved based on the current position of the vehicle as measured by the positioning device 30.

The controller 50 may control the communication device 40 to receive the environment outside the vehicle sensed by the sensor 20 based on the vehicle accident data stored in the server 200 and the number of traffic accident deaths occurring in the current location of the vehicle measured by the positioning device 30. A detailed description will be given with reference to fig. 2A and 2B.

Fig. 2A is a table showing the number of fatal accidents according to the accident type. Fig. 2B is a table showing the number of fatal accidents according to road alignment.

As shown in fig. 2A, the server 200 of fig. 1 may receive information about an environment (e.g., location, weather, or time) outside the vehicle sensed by the sensor 20 of fig. 1 and information about a current location of the vehicle measured by the locating device 30 of fig. 1, and may search for a type of accident that may occur in the environment around the vehicle. Further, when receiving information indicating that the brightness outside the vehicle is bright, the server 200 may search for the number of traffic accident deaths occurring due to a collision accident in the daytime, e.g., 619.

As shown in fig. 2B, when receiving information indicating that the vehicle is driving on the right uphill lane of the curved road and the brightness outside the vehicle is bright, the server 200 may determine whether an accident occurs in such an environment and may search for the number of traffic accident deaths occurring in the environment.

The controller 50 of fig. 1 may calculate a collision risk according to a collision location and a collision direction of an accident vehicle occurring in the environment outside the vehicle sensed by the sensor 20 based on the vehicle accident data stored in the server 200. Herein, the collision risk may be calculated based on the number of traffic accident deaths according to the collision location and the collision direction in which the accident occurs. A detailed description will be given with reference to fig. 3A and 3B.

Fig. 3A is a diagram showing a collision direction and a collision position of an accident vehicle. Fig. 3B is a graph illustrating a collision risk according to a collision direction and a collision position of an accident vehicle.

As shown in fig. 3A, the collision position of the accident vehicle may be divided into 8 positions with respect to the center Δ of the vehicle and displayed at 8 positions. For example, reference numeral 1 may indicate the front of the vehicle. Reference numeral 2 may indicate a right front of the vehicle. Reference numeral 3 may indicate the right side of the vehicle. Reference numeral 4 may indicate the right rear of the vehicle. Reference numeral 5 may indicate the rear of the vehicle. Reference numeral 6 may indicate the left rear of the vehicle. Reference numeral 7 may indicate the left side of the vehicle. Reference numeral 8 may indicate the front left of the vehicle.

Further, the collision direction of the accident vehicle may be displayed in 360 degrees with respect to the center of the vehicle. For example, 0 degrees may indicate a collision from behind the vehicle. 45 degrees may indicate a collision from the left rear of the vehicle. 90 degrees may indicate a crash from the left side of the vehicle. 135 degrees may indicate a collision from the left front of the vehicle. 180 degrees may indicate a collision from the front of the vehicle. 135 degrees may indicate a collision from the right front of the vehicle. 90 degrees may indicate a collision from the right side of the vehicle. 45 degrees may indicate a collision from the right rear of the vehicle.

As shown in fig. 3B, the crash severity of the vehicle may be calculated based on the number of traffic accident deaths generated based on the crash direction and the crash location of the vehicle. The severity of the collision of the vehicle may be calculated as a value between 0 and 1. It is preferably understandable that the higher the risk of collision, the greater the number of traffic accident deaths occurring in the corresponding direction and location, and the lower the risk of collision, the fewer the number of traffic accident deaths occurring in the corresponding direction and location.

The server 200 of fig. 1 may calculate an accident severity index based on the number of discovered traffic accident deaths and the risk of collision. The accident severity index may be calculated as a numerical value between 0 and 100 by weighting the number of traffic accident deaths and the risk of collision. One form of the present disclosure illustrates calculating an accident severity index for the server 200. However, the form is not limited thereto. For example, the controller 50 of fig. 1 may obtain the number of traffic accident deaths and the risk of collision from the server 200 to calculate an accident severity index.

The controller 50 may calculate a Time To Collision (TTC) with another vehicle based on the position and speed of the other vehicle sensed by the sensor 20. Further, the controller 50 may obtain the calculated accident severity index from the server 200, and may calculate a first weighted time-to-collision wTTC _1 reflecting the accident severity index. The first weighted time of collision wTTC _1 reflecting the accident severity index may refer to a time calculated by reflecting the accident severity index within a time taken for the host vehicle to collide with another vehicle.

According to an exemplary form, the first weighted time-to-collision wTTC _1 may be calculated using equation 1 below.

[ equation 1]

wTTC _1 ═ (100-G2 accident severity index) TTC/G1

Herein, G1 and G2 may represent tuning gains (tuning gains), TTC may represent time to collision calculated based on information sensed by the sensor 20, and wTTC _1 may be smaller than TTC.

In calculating the first weighted time-to-collision wTTC _1 reflecting the accident severity index, the controller 50 may tune the G1 and G2 values to have values less than the time-to-collision TTC calculated based on the information sensed by the sensor 20.

For example, when the incident severity index is calculated to be 100, the controller 50 may adjust the G1 and G2 values to 0 ≦ G2 < 1 and 100(1-G2) < G1. When the incident severity index is calculated to be 50, the controller 50 may adjust the G1 and G2 values to 0 ≦ G2 < 2 and 100(1-G2/2) < G1. When the incident severity index is calculated to be 1, the controller 50 may adjust the G1 and G2 values to 0 ≦ G2 < 100 and 100-G2 < G1.

When calculating the first weighted time of impact wTTC _1 reflecting the accident severity index, the controller 50 may compare the calculated first weighted time of impact wTTC _1 with the first time and the second time. Herein, each of the first time and the second time may be a time-to-collision TTC calculated based on information sensed by the sensor 20. The first time may refer to a time longer than the second time. Herein, it is understood that the longer the Time To Collision (TTC), the easier it is to avoid a collision.

The controller 50 may determine whether the first weighted time of impact wTTC _1, which reflects the incident severity index, is greater than the first time. When it is determined that the first weighted time of collision wTTC _1 reflecting the accident severity index is greater than the first time, the controller 50 may turn on a warning lamp or may output a warning sound to inform the driver that an accident may occur.

The controller 50 may determine whether the first weighted time of impact wTTC _1, which reflects the incident severity index, is greater than the second time and less than or equal to the first time. When it is determined that the first weighted time to collision wTTC _1, which reflects the accident severity index, is greater than the second time and less than or equal to the first time, the controller 50 may reduce engine power or may generate a brake jerk (i.e., an environment in which the vehicle is suddenly moving (jerk)) warning the driver.

The controller 50 may determine whether the first weighted time of impact wTTC _1, which reflects the incident severity index, is less than or equal to the second time. When it is determined that the first weighted time of impact wTTC _1 reflecting the incident severity index is greater than the second time, the controller 50 may recalculate the first weighted time of impact wTTC _1 reflecting the incident severity index.

When the first weighted time to collision wTTC _1, which reflects the accident severity index, is less than or equal to the second time, the controller 50 may determine whether the driver is turning to avoid the collision. When it is determined that there is no driver steering input, the controller 50 may control the braking torque to decelerate. Herein, deceleration may refer to maximum deceleration, and may refer to deceleration when braking with maximum force.

Meanwhile, when it is determined that there is a driver steering input, the controller 50 may calculate a second weighted time-to-collision wTTC _2 reflecting the accident severity index when decelerating in a state where the driver is steering, and a third weighted time-to-collision wTTC _3 reflecting the accident severity index when decelerating in a state where the driver is not steering, and may compare the second weighted time-to-collision wTTC _2 with the third weighted time-to-collision wTTC _ 3.

Herein, the second weighted time-to-collision wTTC _2 reflecting the accident severity index at the time of deceleration in the state where the driver is turning may refer to the time taken to collide with another vehicle at the time of deceleration in the turning direction in the case where the driver is turning to avoid a collision. The third weighted time-to-collision wTTC _3, which reflects the accident severity index when decelerating in a state where the driver is not steering, may refer to the time it takes to collide with another vehicle when decelerating in the original driving direction where the driver is not steering.

When it is determined that the second weighted time-to-collision wTTC _2, which reflects the accident severity index when decelerating in a state where the driver is turning, is greater than the third weighted time-to-collision wTTC _3, which reflects the accident severity index when decelerating in a state where the driver is not turning, the controller 50 may control the steering torque to assist the driver in steering in the direction in which he or she is turning, and may control the braking torque to decelerate the vehicle.

This may mean that the controller 50 determines that the time taken for the host vehicle to collide with the other vehicle when decelerating in the direction in which the driver is turning is longer than the time taken for the host vehicle to collide with the other vehicle when decelerating with the maximum force in its original driving direction. In this case, the controller 50 may control the steering torque to steer in the direction in which the driver turns and may assist the driver in steering to avoid a collision with another vehicle.

When it is determined that the second weighted time-to-collision wTTC _2, which reflects the accident severity index when decelerating in a state where the driver is turning, is less than or equal to the third weighted time-to-collision wTTC _3, which reflects the accident severity index when decelerating in a state where the driver is not turning, the controller 50 may control the steering torque in a direction opposite to the direction in which the driver is turning, and may control the braking torque to decelerate the vehicle.

This may mean that the controller 50 determines that the time taken for the host vehicle to collide with another vehicle when the host vehicle decelerates in the direction in which the driver turns is shorter than the time taken for the host vehicle to collide with another vehicle when the host vehicle decelerates in its original driving direction. In this case, the controller 50 may control the steering torque not to be steered in the direction in which the driver is steering, and may suppress the driver steering input to avoid a collision with another vehicle.

According to another form of the present disclosure, the controller 50 may use the calculated severity of the accident to control the smart cruise control set speed. For example, the controller 50 may control deceleration to a set speed based on the severity of the accident. In other words, the controller 50 may set the smart cruise control speed based on the accident severity reflecting the number of traffic accident fatalities and the collision risk, instead of setting the speed based on the position and speed of another vehicle sensed by the sensor 20, thereby preventing a collision with another vehicle that cannot be sensed by the sensor 20 and rapidly braking to avoid the collision.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for controlling driving of a vehicle according to another exemplary form of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 4, in operation S110, the sensor 20 of fig. 1 may sense an environment outside the vehicle, and the positioning apparatus 30 of fig. 1 may measure a current location of the vehicle. Herein, the environment outside the vehicle may include brightness, obstacles, weather, and the like outside the vehicle.

In operation S120, the controller 50 of fig. 1 may obtain an accident severity index calculated based on the environment outside the vehicle sensed by the sensor 20 and the current position of the vehicle measured by the locating device 30 from the server 200 of fig. 1. The accident severity index may be calculated based on the number of traffic accident deaths and the risk of collision occurring in the environment outside the vehicle and at the current location of the vehicle.

In operation S130, the controller 50 may calculate a first weighted time-to-collision wTTC _1 reflecting the accident severity index.

In operation S140, the controller 50 may determine whether a first weighted time of impact wTTC _1, which reflects the accident severity index, is greater than a first time. Herein, the first time may refer to a collision time calculated based on information sensed by the sensor 20.

When it is determined that the first weighted time of collision wTTC _1 reflecting the accident severity index is greater than the first time (yes) in operation S140, the controller 50 may turn on a warning lamp or may output a warning sound in operation S200. When it is determined in operation S140 that the first weighted time of collision wTTC _1 reflecting the accident severity index is less than or equal to the first time (no), the controller 50 may perform operation S150.

In operation S150, the controller 50 may determine whether the first weighted time of impact wTTC _1, which reflects the accident severity index, is greater than the second time and less than or equal to the first time. Herein, the second time may refer to a time shorter than the first time.

When it is determined that the first weighted crash time wTTC _1 reflecting the accident severity index is greater than the second time and less than or equal to the first time in operation S150 (yes), the controller 50 may reduce the engine power and may generate a brake jerk (i.e., a phenomenon in which the vehicle suddenly moves) in operation S210. When it is determined in operation S150 that the first weighted time of collision wTTC _1 reflecting the accident severity index is not greater than the second time and is less than or equal to the first time (no), the controller 50 may perform operation S160.

In operation S160, the controller 50 may determine whether the first weighted time of impact wTTC _1, which reflects the accident severity index, is less than or equal to the second time. When it is determined that the first weighted time-to-collision wTTC _1 reflecting the accident severity index is less than or equal to the second time in operation S160 (yes), the controller 50 may determine whether there is a driver steering input in operation S170. When it is determined that the first weighted time of collision wTTC _1 reflecting the accident severity index is greater than the second time in operation S160 (no), the controller 50 may perform operation S130.

When it is determined in operation S170 that there is no driver steering input, the controller 50 may control the braking torque to decelerate in operation S220. The deceleration in operation S220 may refer to a maximum deceleration, and may refer to a deceleration when braking with a maximum force.

Meanwhile, when it is determined that there is a driver steering input in operation S170 (yes), the controller 50 may calculate a second weighted time-to-collision wTTC _2 reflecting the accident severity index when decelerating in a state in which the driver is steered and a third weighted time-to-collision wTTC _3 reflecting the accident severity index when decelerating in a state in which the driver is not steered, in operation S180.

In operation S190, the controller 50 may determine whether the second weighted time-to-collision wTTC _2, which reflects the accident severity index upon deceleration in a state where the driver is turning, is greater than the third weighted time-to-collision wTTC _3, which reflects the accident severity index upon deceleration in a state where the driver is not turning.

When it is determined in operation S190 that the second weighted collision time wTTC _2 reflecting the accident severity index upon deceleration in a state where the driver is turning is greater than the third weighted collision time wTTC _3 reflecting the accident severity index upon deceleration in a state where the driver is not turning (yes), the controller 50 may control the steering torque in the same direction as the direction in which the driver is turning to assist the driver in turning, and may control the braking torque to decelerate in operation S230.

When it is determined in operation S190 that the second weighted time-to-collision wTTC _2, which reflects the accident severity index upon deceleration in a state in which the driver is turning, is less than or equal to the third weighted time-to-collision wTTC _3, which reflects the accident severity index upon deceleration in a state in which the driver is not turning (no), the controller 50 may control the steering torque in a direction opposite to the direction in which the driver is turning to suppress the driver turning input, and may control the braking torque to decelerate, in operation S240.

Fig. 5A is a diagram showing a host vehicle and other vehicles entering an intersection. Fig. 5B is a diagram schematically showing collision avoidance of the host vehicle entering the intersection while suppressing steering by the driver.

Referring to fig. 5A, the host vehicle a enters in the 6 o' clock direction with respect to the intersection. Another vehicle B enters at the 9 o' clock direction of the intersection. The other vehicles C and D travel ahead of the host vehicle a. Another vehicle E runs behind the host vehicle a.

The controller 50 of FIG. 1 may obtain an accident severity index calculated based on the number of traffic accident deaths occurring at the intersection and the risk of collision measured at the current position of the host vehicle A by the positioning apparatus 30 of FIG. 1. According to one form, the accident severity index for the other vehicle B may be 80. The accident severity index for another vehicle C may be 60. The accident severity index for another vehicle D may be 30. The accident severity index for another vehicle E may be 20.

When it is determined that another vehicle B is entering in the 9 o' clock direction with respect to the intersection and the other vehicles C and D are decelerating based on the information sensed by the sensor 20 of fig. 1, the controller 50 may calculate a first weighted time-to-collision wTTC _1 reflecting the accident severity index based on the position, speed, etc. of each of the other vehicles B and C sensed by the sensor 20.

Further, when it is determined that the driver is turning in the counterclockwise direction to avoid a collision, the controller 50 may determine a second weighted time-to-collision wTTC _2 reflecting the accident severity index when decelerating in a state where the driver is turning and a third weighted time-to-collision wTTC _3 reflecting the accident severity index when decelerating in a state where the driver is not turning. Herein, the second weighted time-to-collision wTTC _2 and the third weighted time-to-collision wTTC _3 may refer to times of collision with another vehicle B.

The controller 50 may compare the second weighted time-to-collision wTTC _2, which reflects the accident severity index when decelerating in a state where the driver is turning, with the third weighted time-to-collision wTTC _3, which reflects the accident severity index when decelerating in a state where the driver is not turning. When it is determined that the second weighted time-to-collision wTTC _2, which reflects the accident severity index upon deceleration in a state where the driver is turning, is less than or equal to the third weighted time-to-collision wTTC _3, which reflects the accident severity index upon deceleration in a state where the driver is not turning, the controller 50 may control the steering torque in the direction opposite to the direction in which the driver is turning, as shown in fig. 5B, to suppress the driver's steering input to decelerate. Therefore, the host vehicle a can avoid a collision with the other vehicle B.

Fig. 6A is a diagram showing a host vehicle and other vehicles entering an intersection. Fig. 6B is a diagram schematically showing collision avoidance of a host vehicle entering an intersection while assisting steering by a driver.

Referring to fig. 6A, the host vehicle a enters in the 6 o' clock direction with respect to the intersection. Another vehicle B enters at 9 o' clock with respect to the intersection. The other vehicles C and D travel ahead of the host vehicle a. Another vehicle E runs behind the host vehicle a.

The controller 50 of FIG. 1 may obtain an accident severity index calculated based on the number of traffic accident deaths occurring at the intersection and the risk of collision measured at the current position of the host vehicle A by the positioning apparatus 30 of FIG. 1.

Further, when it is determined that the driver turns in the clockwise direction to avoid the collision, the controller 50 may determine a second weighted time-to-collision wTTC _2 reflecting the accident severity index when decelerating in a state where the driver turns and a third weighted time-to-collision wTTC _3 reflecting the accident severity index when decelerating in a state where the driver does not turn.

The controller 50 may compare the second weighted time-to-collision wTTC _2, which reflects the accident severity index when decelerating in a state where the driver is turning, with the third weighted time-to-collision wTTC _3, which reflects the accident severity index when decelerating in a state where the driver is not turning. When it is determined that the second weighted time-to-collision wTTC _2, which reflects the accident severity index when decelerating in a state where the driver is turning, is greater than the third weighted time-to-collision wTTC _3, which reflects the accident severity index when decelerating in a state where the driver is not turning, as shown in fig. 6B, the controller 50 may control the steering torque in the same direction as the driver's steering direction to assist the driver in steering to decelerate. Therefore, the host vehicle a can avoid a collision with the other vehicle B.

Fig. 7A is a diagram showing a host vehicle and other vehicles traveling on a right junction road. Fig. 7B is a diagram schematically showing collision avoidance of the host vehicle traveling on the right bus road when the smart cruise control set speed is controlled.

As shown in fig. 7A, the sensor 20 of fig. 1 may sense another vehicle B traveling ahead of the host vehicle a. The locating device 30 of fig. 1 may measure that the host vehicle a is located on the right side bus way. The controller 50 may set the smart cruise control speed based on information of another vehicle B sensed by the sensor 20. However, the sensor 20 may not be able to sense another vehicle C traveling on the right junction road.

In one form of the present disclosure, the controller 50 may obtain an accident severity index calculated based on the number of traffic accident deaths occurring in an environment where a right-side confluent road exists and a collision risk from the server 200 of fig. 1, and may reflect the accident severity index when setting the smart cruise control speed. In other words, the controller 50 may decelerate in advance and set the smart cruise control speed by reflecting the accident severity index, even though the sensor 20 does not sense another vehicle C.

Therefore, as shown in fig. 7B, the controller 50 can prevent a collision with another vehicle C that suddenly merges at the right-side merging point.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a computing system that executes a method in one form of the present disclosure.

Referring to fig. 8, computing system 1000 may include at least one processor 1100, memory (memory)1300, user interface input device 1400, user interface output device 1500, storage 1600, and network interface 1700, connected to each other by a bus 1200.

Processor 1100 may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a semiconductor device for processing instructions stored in memory 1300 and/or storage 1600. Each of the memory 1300 and storage 1600 may include various types of volatile or non-volatile storage media. For example, memory 1300 may include Read Only Memory (ROM) and Random Access Memory (RAM).

Accordingly, the operations of a method or algorithm described in connection with the forms disclosed in the specification may be embodied directly in a hardware module, in a software module executed by the processor 1100, or in a combination of the two. A software module may reside in a storage medium (e.g., memory 1300 and/or storage 1600), such as RAM, flash memory, ROM, erasable programmable ROM (eprom), electrically eprom (eeprom), registers, an optical hard disk, a removable optical disk, or a compact disk (CD-ROM). An exemplary storage medium may be coupled to processor 1100. The processor 1100 can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integrated with the processor 1100. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In the alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside as separate components in a user terminal.

An apparatus and method for controlling driving of a vehicle according to an exemplary form of the present disclosure may calculate a collision time reflecting the severity of an accident obtained from a server based on an accident risk according to the number of past traffic accident deaths and relative locations, in addition to sensing an external environment based on sensors in the related art, and may adjust the time of controlling the vehicle and the control amount of the vehicle, thereby performing powerful control to avoid a collision from occurring in the external environment that cannot be sensed by the sensors, and reducing the occurrence of a vehicle accident and damage due to the vehicle accident.

In the above, although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the exemplary forms and drawings, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, but various modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling driving of a vehicle, comprising:

a sensor configured to sense an environment external to the vehicle;

a positioning device configured to measure a current position of the vehicle; and

a controller configured to calculate a first weighted time to collision with another vehicle based on an accident severity index, and to control collision avoidance based on the calculated first weighted time to collision, wherein the accident severity index is based on an environment outside the vehicle and a current location of the vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the environment external to the vehicle comprises at least one of a brightness, an obstacle, or weather external to the vehicle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the accident severity index is calculated based on a number of deaths occurring in an environment external to the vehicle and a current location of the vehicle and a risk of collision.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the collision risk is calculated based on a number of fatalities according to a collision position and a collision direction of an accident vehicle occurring in the current position of the vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

controlling at least one of a warning light and a warning sound when the first weighted impact time is greater than a first time.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to:

when the first weighted impact time is greater than the second time and less than or equal to the first time, reducing engine power or generating brake jerk.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to:

controlling braking torque to decelerate when the first weighted time-to-collision is less than or equal to a second time and there is no driver steering input.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to:

calculating a second weighted time-to-collision that reflects the accident severity index when decelerating with driver steering when the first weighted time-to-collision is less than or equal to the second time and there is the driver steering input; and

calculating a third weighted time-to-collision that reflects the accident severity index when decelerating in the driver-undiverted state.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to:

assisting the driver in steering to decelerate when the second weighted collision time is greater than the third weighted collision time.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to:

when the second weighted collision time is less than or equal to the third weighted collision time, the driver steering input is inhibited from decelerating.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

controlling a smart cruise control set speed based on the accident severity index.

12. A method for controlling driving of a vehicle, the method comprising:

sensing, by a sensor, an environment external to the vehicle;

measuring, by a positioning device, a current location of the vehicle;

obtaining, by a controller, an accident severity index based on an environment external to the vehicle and a current location of the vehicle;

calculating, by the controller, a first weighted collision time with another vehicle based on the accident severity index; and

controlling, by the controller, collision avoidance based on the first weighted collision time.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the accident severity index is calculated based on a number of deaths occurring in the environment external to the vehicle and at a current location of the vehicle and a risk of collision.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the collision risk is calculated based on a number of deaths from a collision location and a collision direction of an accident vehicle occurring in the current location of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein controlling collision avoidance comprises:

controlling at least one of a warning light or a warning sound when the first weighted time-to-collision is greater than a first time.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein controlling collision avoidance comprises:

reducing engine power or generating brake jerk when the first weighted time to impact reflecting the accident severity index is greater than a second time and less than or equal to the first time.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein controlling collision avoidance comprises:

controlling braking torque to decelerate when the first weighted impact time reflecting the accident severity index is less than or equal to the second time and there is no driver steering input.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein controlling collision avoidance comprises:

calculating a second weighted impact time reflecting the accident severity index when the first weighted impact time reflecting the accident severity index is less than or equal to the second time and there is a driver steering input; and

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

assisting, by the controller, the driver in steering to decelerate when the second weighted collision time is greater than the third weighted collision time.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

suppressing, by the controller, the driver steering input to decelerate when the second weighted collision time is less than or equal to the third weighted collision time.